House clean. Check. Dinner fixed. Check. Homework and nails done. Check check. Our lives seem to revolve around a set schedule, with no breaks in between. We are the multi-tasking generation. It seems to frustrate our culture to just sit still without having to check Instagram or Twitter every 5 seconds. Or to text your best friend and see what they're doing. Or check Pinterest for that amazing looking cilantro-lime chicken burritos you've been meaning to make. Oh wait. Where was I? Oh yes, we're distracted. No longer do we experience the laid back, sitting-on-the-porch-after-supper-watching-the-sun-go-down-on-the-porch-swing kinda thing. And we leave God out of the circle. We fill all of our schedules to keep ourselves busy instead of taking some time out to worship and be refreshed by the one who will bring peace and order to our lives. Jesus is the PERFECT and ONLY void filler.
Not to completely put this generation on bast, but there is a story in the Bible that is all too similar. Enter Martha and Mary into the picture. This is a story most of us have heard in Sunday school as a child before, but it's something many of us (myself included) haven't truly grasped.
38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
All of us wish we could be a Mary right? I know I do. My type-A personality seems to get in the way times. Recently I was sitting down reading these words of Jesus to Martha and couldn't help but noticed the love and compassion he showed towards there. It brought me to the point of weeping. The Hebrew use of repeating words or names typically denotes it's importance. Just like Jesus wanted Martha to know her importance. Just as He said "Martha, Martha.You are anxious and troubled about many things." I imagined Him telling me, "Brandi, Brandi..." How beautiful is that? He wants us to choose the BETTER part. To spend time with Him and be changed while in His presence. This is what we need to do as believers. No one wants an uptight, distracted Christian. We need to tune into the Holy Spirit and hear what He is saying to us. We need to pray and ask God to help us in this area. Choose the better part! :)
